Genesis 33
1 Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! Esau, coming in, —and with him, four hundred men. So he divided the children—unto Leah and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids;
Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
2 and put the handmaids and their children first, —and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph next;
He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3 but he himself, passed over before them, and bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he had come near unto his brother.
But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 Then ran Esau to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, —and they wept.
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
5 Then lifted he up his eyes, and beheld the women and the children, and said What are these to thee? And he said—The children wherewith God hath favoured thy servant,
When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then came near the handmaids, they—and their children, —and bowed themselves.
Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7 Then came near Leah also with her children, —and they bowed themselves. And afterwards, came near Joseph with Rachel, and they bowed themselves,
Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8 Then said he, What to thee is all this camp, which I have fallen in with? And he said, —To find favour in the eyes of my lord.
“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
9 Then said Esau, I have an abundance, —my brother, be thine what thou hast!
“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10 Then said Jacob, Nay, I pray thee, if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, then thou wilt take my present at my hand, —For on this account, hath my seeing thy face been like seeing the face of God in that thou wast well-pleased with me.
But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
11 Take, I pray thee my blessing which hath been brought in to thee, because God hath shewed me favour and because I have everything. So he was urgent with him and he took it.
Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
12 Then he said, Let us break up and go, and let me go on before thee.
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13 And he said unto him, My lord, is taking note, that, the children are tender, —and the flocks and the herds are giving suck with me, —and, should I overdrive them a single day, then would all the flocks die.
But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee pass over before his servant, and let, me, lead on in my own easy way, at the pace of the cattle that are before me, and at the pace of the children, until that I come in unto my lord, towards Seir.
Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
15 Then said Esau: Let me leave, I pray thee, along with thee, some of the people who are with me! And he said—Why so? let me find favour in the eyes of my lord!
“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 So Esau returned, that day, to his journey towards Mount Seir.
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
17 But, Jacob, brake up towards Succoth, and built for himself a house, for his cattle, made he places of shelter, for which cause, the name of the place was called, Succoth.
but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, —when he came in from Padan-aram, —and he encamped before the city.
After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
19 And he bought the portion of the field where he had spread out his tent, at the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, —for a hundred kesitahs.
And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
20 And he set up there an altar, —and called it, El-elohe-Israel.
There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
